Status of Women. Business Plan Accountability Statement. Ministry Overview. Strategic Context

Transcription

1 Business Plan Status of Women Accountability Statement This business plan was prepared under my direction, taking into consideration our government s policy decisions as of March 7, original signed by Stephanie McLean, Minister Ministry Overview The ministry consists of the Department of Status of Women. The ministry works collaboratively with government and community partners to advance gender equality in Alberta, leading government s work to integrate a gendered lens into policies and programs to improve the lives of women and girls, and thereby strengthen the province as a whole. Status of Women works to advance gender equality in Alberta in the following areas: women s economic security; preventing and addressing gender-based violence; and increasing women s leadership and democratic participation. The ministry works with other ministries to ensure that Alberta leads the way in advancing gender equality as an integral part of a prosperous future with full social and economic participation by all Albertans. A more detailed description of Status of Women and its programs and initiatives can be found at Strategic Context The outcomes and key strategies identified in this business plan are aligned with the strategic direction of the Government of Alberta. Advancing gender equality is a critical priority for the Government of Alberta. Addressing barriers to women s full participation in the economy, ensuring Alberta s communities are safe and inclusive, embracing fairness and equality of opportunity and outcomes for all Albertans, and maintaining sustainable and accessible social supports require that the lived experience of women and girls is considered in government decision-making. Gender equality is intrinsically linked to social and economic growth and is vital to the realization of human rights for all. Over the last few decades, insistence on gender neutral policies had become common in Alberta and elsewhere. It was viewed as a mechanism for treating everyone the same way. However, identical treatment of all people regardless of gender, gender identity, race, socio-economic status, citizenship, sexuality, and so on, disadvantages certain groups of people (often women and other marginalized groups), resulting in inequality of outcomes. In addition, Canada is a signatory to United Nations (UN) conventions and treaties which obligate the federation to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women and advance substantive equality. Instead of considering equality STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN

2 only in formal and legalistic terms, the substantive model of equality requires using the actual conditions of women s lives as the true measure of whether equality has been achieved. Alberta works with federal, provincial, and territorial orders of government to advance gender equality and report on progress. Since its inception in 2015, Status of Women has focused on advancing gender equality through four key areas: gender-based analysis plus (GBA+); data and analytics; engagement and community capacity; and, exploring genderresponsive budgeting. GBA+ has been applied in the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies, programs, and legislation, and for assessing the effects of decisions on people based on gender and other diverse factors, such as race, age, disability, citizenship, and sexual identity. Enhancing government s data and analytics is important to more accurately reflect differences and inequalities among groups of people based on gender and other considerations. Involving community organizations and other relevant stakeholders in government s decision making process and evaluation of programs and policies supports their engagement and capacity building around gender advancement as demonstrated through Status of Women s Community Grant program. Gender-responsive budgeting includes providing gender analysis in business planning and annual reporting processes, as well as in policies and programs funded by government. Women s Economic Security Women experience different barriers to their economic security than men. Women in Alberta have lower overall labour force participation than men, and these rates are lower still for Indigenous women. Women s lower labour force participation is due in part to caring for children and other family members. In 2016, 33 per cent of women between the ages of 25 and 54 cited child care as the reason for working part-time rather than full-time. Affordable, accessible child care continues to be a challenge for many working parents in Alberta, and lone parent households are most often headed by women, amplifying the need for reliable child care. The Government of Alberta has committed to investing in high quality accessible, affordable, $25-a-day Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC), as finances permit. In June 2017, the Government of Alberta signed a multilateral agreement with the federal government, provincial and territorial partners to support affordable child care initiatives across Canada. This federal investment will support up to 78 additional ELCC Centers across Alberta in , bringing the total number of ELCC Centers to 100. Enabling women to spend more time in the paid labour force is only one side of the equation; there needs to be jobs and labour hours available for women. This is part of the reason that economic diversification and support for small and medium sized businesses is so important. The government is committed to increase minimum wage to $15 per hour by October 1, 2018, which will help lead women out of lower-income situations or poverty and is critical to addressing the gender pay gap. Gender-Based Violence Alberta, like other provinces and territories in Canada, has considerably high rates of sexual assault. According to victimization surveys and police-reported crime rates, the majority of victims of these assaults are women and children, and the perpetrators of these assaults are most often men. Victimization surveys also tell us that the vast majority of victims do not report their experiences to police. Therefore, the actual number of sexual assaults in Alberta and Canada is significantly higher than official crime rates suggest. Those with identity factors such as race, ethnicity, ability, health status and sexual orientation are disproportionally vulnerable to sexual violence. The Government of Alberta is committed to reducing gender-based violence, which includes work with the City of Edmonton and UN Women on the UN Women Safe Cities Initiative; leading the coordination of work amongst ten ministries to prevent and address sexual violence; and supporting women leaving abusive relationships to legally break leases under changes to the Residential Tenancies Act. The ministry also supports initiatives that promote and address Indigenous Women and girls, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as work to support the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Inquiry. The Government of Alberta believes that all Albertans deserve to live free from fear, threat, or experience of 138 STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN

3 gender-based violence. It has made safe and respectful communities and workplaces a priority for women and girls in Alberta. Women in Leadership Gender balance in decision making bodies, whether elected or appointed, is necessary to ensure organizations fully reflect the diversity of Albertans. To date, women running for public office in Alberta (municipal, provincial, federal) represented 30 per cent or less of the candidates. In response, Status of Women encouraged women s candidacy through the Ready for Her campaign and website, reaching women across the province. Alberta saw an increase in the number of women candidates running in the 2017 municipal elections, resulting in an additional three per cent representation on municipal councils. The ministry s Mentorship Pilot Program matches women with mentors who are leaders in the areas of engineering, construction, finance, academia and business development. The program helps mentees create a learning plan with their mentors and enables their participation in professional development opportunities coordinated by Status of Women. Raising gender equality at work will help women reach their professional development goals and advance in the labour force, removing barriers and expanding leadership opportunities for women. In 2017, women held 13 per cent of corporate board positions in Alberta and 58 per cent of companies have at least one woman on their board (TSX listed Alberta based companies). Increasing women s representation in leadership roles in the private sector means strengthening Alberta companies performance in a global market. A growing body of research demonstrates that bringing together different perspectives, skills and experience improves overall decisionmaking and financial performance. Within the Government of Alberta, 46 per cent of senior executive managers are women. The government s new board appointment process has led to gender parity on Alberta s Agencies, Boards, and Commissions, with 53 per cent of those serving identifying as women. It is imperative that public service organizations reflect the people of Alberta to increase equality of outcomes for women and girls. Outcomes, Key Strategies and Performance Measures Outcome One: Strengthened capacity of the GoA to advance legislation, policies and programs that promote gender equality Status of Women promotes the use of a gender-based analysis in all its work with ministries, partners and communities to increase understanding of issues affecting women and girls and support decisions that promote gender equality. As part of this work, the Government of Alberta has adopted Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) as a tool to assess the gender and diversity implications of policies, programs or initiatives. Status of Women works with other ministries to expand the use of GBA+, and to ensure access to regular and reliable data, analysis and research regarding women s social, political, economic and legal conditions, and strengthen community capacity to help government better understand gendered issues; and explore the use of gender-based analysis in planning and budgeting processes. Key Strategies: 1.1 Lead the community of practice that strengthens GBA+ accountability, knowledge, and capacity in each ministry s Centre of Responsibility to support policy and program development. 1.2 Work with partners in government to use gender and intersectional analysis and perspective in government budgeting, and use a phased approach to incorporate a gender and intersectional perspective at all levels of the budgetary process to promote evidence-based decision making. 1.3 Create partnerships with the research and analytics communities, internal and external to government, to increase availability of research and data analysis that will enhance understanding of issues facing women and girls in Alberta. STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN

4 1.4 Facilitate connections between government and community organizations to create partnerships, build capacity, and promote knowledge sharing in the community through the Status of Women Community Grant Program and other strategic initiatives. Performance Measures Last a Percentage of grant recipients reporting positive outcomes for women and girls, as a result of their project 1 90% 90% 90% 1.b Number of Government of Alberta staff who attended GBA+ training sessions 1, ,500 6,000 6,000 1.c Percentage of ministries with Centres of Responsibility for GBA+ operating in Government of Alberta 45% 3 80% 90% 100% Notes: 1 Data will be available in late Preliminary estimate based on completed and planned training sessions. 3 Preliminary estimate based on current work with Centres of Responsibility. Linking Performance Measures to Outcomes: 1.a This measure tracks the positive outcomes towards advancing gender equality resulting from the implementation of programs or projects funded in part or in whole by Status of Women. 1.b This measure indicates the level of engagement and staff development throughout government to increase competency in applying GBA+ in policy and program development. 1.c This measure tracks the use of GBA+ in Government of Alberta ministries through Centres of Responsibility established with the support of Status of Women by providing on-going training, expertise, and evaluation. Performance Indicator a Percentage of publicly released Government of Alberta policy frameworks and strategies that include gender-based analysis 25% 50% 1 Note: 1 Preliminary estimate of 50 per cent based on policy advice provided to other ministries. 140 STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN

5 Outcome Two: Improved position and conditions for women in Alberta in relation to economic security, gender-based violence, leadership and democratic participation Status of Women provides leadership within government and in partnership with key stakeholders to ensure gender equality is advanced in Alberta. Evidence based policy and strategic initiatives led or co-led by Status of Women improve conditions for women and girls in Alberta by increasing understanding of and addressing systemic and structural barriers to gender equality. The ministry accomplishes this work by working across government and with partners to create the conditions for women to fully participate in all aspects of life in Alberta. To this end, Status of Women develops strategic relationships with other ministries within the Government of Alberta, other orders of government, and community stakeholders to identify shared solutions to improve women s economic security and prosperity, to prevent and address gender-based violence, and to increase women s participation in leadership and democratic processes. Key Strategies: 2.1 Support and promote Government of Alberta strategies, policies and programs that increase women s access to labour force participation and women s economic security and prosperity. 2.2 Support implementation of the diversity and inclusion policy within the Alberta Public Service, including actions focussed on training and advancing women s career and leadership opportunities. 2.3 Develop and promote resources to support women s presence, participation, and decision-making in the leadership of private and public organizations. 2.4 Prevent and address gender-based violence in response to persistent and emerging issues through collaboration with stakeholders and governments at all levels. 2.5 Work with federal, provincial, and territorial orders of government and UN entities to advance joint work that improves the status of women and girls, and report on progress toward women s human rights as stipulated in international conventions. 2.6 Explore the establishment of an advisory council to ensure that perspectives from Alberta women and girls are reflected in government policies, programs, and services. Performance Measures Last a Percentage of ministries working with Status of Women reporting that Status of Women s policy advice met or exceeded requirements 1 95% 95% 95% 2.b Percentage of ministries working with Status of Women reporting that Status of Women s evidence, analysis and advice was incorporated into policy development or implementation 1 95% 95% 95% Note: 1 Data not available at time of publication. Linking Performance Measures to Outcomes: 2.a This measure tracks the quality of the policy advice provided to government ministries by Status of Women when Status of Women is leading a policy initiative within government, partnering with another ministry, or participating or advising on a policy initiative. 2.b This measure tracks the integration of GBA+ into the work of other government ministries when Status of Women is leading a policy initiative within government, partnering with another ministry, or participating or advising on a policy initiative. STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN

6 Performance Indicators 2.a Labour force participation rate in Alberta: All women Aboriginal women in Alberta (off-reserve) 67.0% 66.0% (2013) 66.2% 66.7% (2014) 66.6% 65.6% (2015) 66.3% 63.4% (2016) 66.2% 63.6% (2017) 2.b Rate of self-reported sexual assault for Albertans 15 years and older (quadrennial survey) 1,2 25 per 1,000 population (2014) 2.c Rate of police-reported intimate partner violence for Alberta women (quadrennial survey) 2.d Percentage of candidates running for office who are women: in Alberta Municipal elections in Alberta Provincial elections in Federal elections within Alberta 26% (2013) (2014) 30% 27% (2015) 2.e Percentage of board members for Alberta TSX traded companies who are women 9% (2015) 2.f Percentage of senior executive managers in the Government of Alberta Public Service who are women 3 36% ( ) 38% ( ) 2.g Percentage of those serving on Government of Alberta Agencies, Boards, and Commissions who are women 32% ( ) 39% ( ) 37% ( ) (2016) 11% (2016) 40% ( ) 41% ( ) 623 per 100,000 Population (2013) 29% (2017) 13% (2017) 46% 4 () 53% 5 () Notes: 1 This is based on self-reported data to Statistics Canada. Sexual violence includes being touched in an unwanted sexual manner or being forced to have unwanted sexual activity in the past 12 months, Albertans 15 years and older. 2 Available data is not disaggregated by gender. Note that rates of sexual violence are significantly higher for women. Indicator to be used as a proxy until an Alberta-specific annual indicator is developed. 3 Includes all APS staff classified at an Executive Manager 1 and Executive Manager 2 level and all departmental senior officials. 4 As of February As of January STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN

7 Risks to Achieving Outcomes Outcome One Status of Women is engaged in activities to increase the capacity of government ministries to conduct GBA+ of their policies and programs. Increased capacity is assumed to lead to increased use of GBA+ and high-quality application of GBA+ concepts. However, without a specific mandate for ministries to implement this approach there is a risk that although the knowledge and capacity exists, it will not translate into more system wide action. This continues to be a risk in Status of Women is mitigating this risk by sharing the responsibility for GBA+ across government by supporting other departments to continuously develop their Centres of Responsibility for GBA+. The Centres lead, enhance, support and monitor the implementation of GBA+ in their respective ministries. Status of Women is the Government of Alberta s Centre of Excellence for GBA+, and, as such, establishes mechanisms, defines expectations, and ensures accountability, in addition to building organizational capacity and developing staff and leaders. If Status of Women, with the support of other ministries and agencies, does not assess the effectiveness of GBA+ in government ministries and agencies, it will be difficult to determine whether government is making progress in fulfilling its mandate with respect to gender equality and advancement. Status of Women is mitigating this risk by coordinating a cross jurisdictional evaluation framework for GBA+, which would present opportunities to compare and contrast activities and processes across jurisdictions, and identify best practices for future GBA+ implementation. Outcome Two The work of the ministry is highly interdependent on the work of other stakeholders; much of the work of the ministry is possible or significantly enhanced through collaboration. Status of Women mitigates this risk by establishing and maintaining relationships with key ministries and external stakeholders to ensure gender equality becomes an integral part of the Government of Alberta s policy development. It can be difficult to make direct causal links between policy work and short-term outcomes. Status of Women addresses this risk by publishing gender equality indicators and narrative in the Ministry Annual Report detailing the types of policy work from other ministries supported by Status of Women, and linking data trends and outcomes to Government of Alberta initiatives. STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN

8 STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS (thousands of dollars) REVENUE Budget Forecast Estimate Other Revenue Transfers from Government of Canada Consolidated Total EXPENSE Comparable Ministry Support Services 1,993 2,185 2,119 2,270 2,267 2,277 Gender Equality and Advancement 2,830 2,180 2,180 2,300 2,300 2,300 Gender Policy, Strategy and Innovation 1,793 2,289 2,964 2,300 2,300 2,300 Ministry Total 6,616 6,654 7,263 6,870 6,867 6,877 Inter-Ministry Consolidations (10) Consolidated Total 6,606 6,654 7,263 6,870 6,867 6,877 Net Operating Result (6,599) (6,654) (7,238) (6,870) (6,867) (6,877) CAPITAL INVESTMENT Ministry Support Services STATUS OF WOMEN BUSINESS PLAN